Composition for eradicating rodents.



0, ELLIS. COMPOSITION FOR ERADIQATING RODENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1907.

944,41 9. I Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

lmwroz Q/Vitweooea I V 1 Q M E UNITED sTATEs PATE T OFFICE.

CARLETON ELLIS, 0E. LARGHMQNT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIS FOSTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF I\TEW JERSEY.

COMPOSITION FOR; ERADICATING RODENTS.

The common forms of rat destroyers involve the use of strong and dangerous poisons such as phosphorus, arsenic and strychnine. Red

hosphorus, while an active poison for rats, is liable to become ignited and set fire to buildings. This danger of spontaneous combustion is greatly increased by the presence in many of the rat poisons containing this element of bodies which have a tendency, in the course of time, to convert the red phosphorus into the highly inflammable yellow phosphorus. Probably alarge number of confiagrations, the causes of which are unknown and which are perhaps attributed to defective electriowiring and the like, are caused by the use of phosphorus-containing rat oisons which may perhaps have been carried by rodents to remote parts of the building and eventually have become ignited. The use of 'arsenic is also beset with grave danger in view of the'fact that it may be carried to all parts of a building by the rodents and may subsequently become reduced, giving rise to arsine gas and other arseniferous bodies of a Volatile character,

7 the specific embodiment at present preferred building.

is extremely the dust of the rooms may ,become more or less mixed with the arsenic'al material'and.

this arsenic-laden dust may be inhaled to the great-injury of the inmates of the poison and so rapid in itstoxic action that it is now generally condemned.

My improved composition comprises in oxid of zinc and barium carbonate in combination with organic material such as casein. These compounds cooperate to produce an extremely efficient composition. A suitable composition may be prepared in accordance Strychnine is .so po'werful a Specification of Letters 1 atent. I Patented Dec. 28, 1909. Application filed November 7,1907. Serial No. 401,083.-

with the following illustrative specific formula, it being understood that the proportions of the same may be substantially varied without departing from the scope of thisinvention.

Barium carbonate 100 lbs. Zincoxid 50 Pulverized sugar Corn meal 150 Powdered commercial casei 50 Ground nutmeg 2 Molasses 50 The dry materials are intimately mixed,

.then the molasses is added and when the latter has been-well incorporated five gallons of water are introduced and well stirred in.

A plastic mass is thus produced which preferably is rolled into sheets about 1/8of an inch in thickness and is then 'cut into small elliptical tablets or cakes about the size and shape or general outline of a squash seed.

In the foregoing formula, the barium carbonate and zinc oxid serve as the toxic materials, while the other ingredients in additionto serving as sapidfood materials, act as binders for the mineral matters. Casein is since it is not only a very'efficient binder, in

vthis case probably combining chemically more or less -W1t-l'l the zinc oxid and baryta of the barium carbonate, but is also a proteid food material. Rats are particularly'fond of proteids. In this composition, the casein acts to bind the mass ,into a coherent Whole.

containing the toxic mineral matters intimately admixed and uniformly distributed therethrough. .The sugar and molasses also act as eflicient binding and are of course sapid food materials, particularlyattractive .to rats, and acting as baiting materials.

The proportion of barium carbonate and particularly well adapt-ed as an ingredient zinc oxid may be increased when it is desired to destroy rodents of large size, and for treatment in open places such-as Wharves, etc., it is of course possible to add arsenic from one to three per cent. of White arsenic in conjunction with the zinc and barium compounds giving a composition generally sufliclent to destroyeven the largest rodents I prefer however, for the reasons above stated, to use no highly poisonous material general outline of seeds, and particularly death between partitions, etc.

- I find that by Working up this composition in the form of tablets having the shape or when having the shape or eneral outline of such flattened elliptical seeds as squash seeds,

that'it is eaten by rats with especial avidity .and in the following claims I lay claim to a composition substantially of the character v specified; that is, containing a heavy metallic oxid'which 1S notlnghly poisonous to human beings, and formed into the shape ofaseed.' 1.-

In the accompanying drawings, Figure,1 representsa plan 'view of-the seed shaped composition; and Fig; 2 shows an end elevation of the same.

In the drawings, 1 repre'sents'the seed having-a broadened base 2 and the narrow, re stricted lport-ion 3, the whole having the general'out e of a squash seed.

The illustrations depict the composition in an enlarged'form,'and ordinarily I we fer to make these massessmaller than the size show-n,-but generally of the-shape outlined therein. Of course the shape may bevaried somewhat, but the drawings show. substantial thesha'pe which the manufactured artic es have; a flattened]elliptical form, resembling as near as may be-that of.

such a seed as 'a squash seed, and, with the preferred composition stated, having also much the same hue and appearance. I

In'the formula above set forth it will be seen that I have combined a metallic oxid and .a carbonate with binding and baitin 3 materialthe casein, sugar," etc. While? prefer to make use'of barlum in the form of a carbonate, or the oxid, it may also. be used -'=in other forms, as for instance the chlorid or acetate; similarly with the zinc materlal.

In general it is desirable to have the salts in a substantially insoluble condition so that when the com osition is eaten no strong saline or meta lie taste is detected. The

- stance may be substituted in part.

" binding and baiting material may bemod-ifiedif desired and flour or oatm'ealforin- The corn meal and casein in the described embodiment have, however, the: advantage that both being yellow, the com osition as a whole has a yellowish. color an when it is,

. as is preferable, formed into the shapeof squash seeds, the likeness togsquash seeds is thereby much enhanced. Asstatod, rats and mice have 'a. particular fondness" squash seeds and the nearer "the/ formed general outline and masses approachthe general appearance of such squash seeds, the greater the avidity with which they consume the composition.

,To recapitula te My improved composi; tion in its preferred form comprises a can bonateormid of a metal which has no violcntly toxic acti'on o n human beings, in combination'wit-h a' binding and baiting material, the composition being cast or out in the form of thin seed shaped masses. Prefcrably. as stated, thesema'sses resemble as nearly-as maybe squash seeds 1n shape and general appearance.

It is, of course, tabs-"understood that I may invoke the doctrine ofychemical equiva-I lency wherever thesame may be herein applicable.

. Having described my improved Composi:

tion, to the details of-which description of course do not-limit myself, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

'1. A rat eradicator comprising barium I ca 'bonate zincloxid and casein. j A rat eradlcator comprlsing arium carbonate, zinc oxid and-a baiting material.

adi'i A rat eradieatorcom rising barium carbonate, and a .finely divided proteid as 4. A rat eradicator con 1 prising barium [binding 'material. and a-.bait-ing materialsaid eradicator being in -t-he form ofsmall i seed shaped masses.- Y

carbonate and a baiting andfa finely divided proteidbinding materia'l'; said eradicator being in the form of small masses having the shape and general appearance of'squaslr 5. A rat eradicator comprising barihm carbonate andzinc oxid, the former bein present in substantially twice the amount 0 the latter.-

barium carbonate and oxid o zinc in combination with ba ting. and binding material,

1 the proportion of the barium compound-be:

ing greater. than that 'of the zinc compound;

6'. A rat eradicator comprising essentially all incorporated to form seed -shaped masses.

7. -A rat .eradicator comprising barium carbonate: and zinc oic'idca'rried by binding} and baiting material in the'form and shape of a seed. i v

,8. A rat eradicator comprisingbarium carbonate and yellowish'bindin' and baitmg materials in the form'of 'sma lfy'e'llowish seed shaped masses, having substantially the d appearance of a squash see 9. A rat eradicator, comprising ba-rium.

carbonate, another basic mineral body, .a:

proteid binder. and baiting material in the.

form of small masses' ,h'ajvinga flattened elliptical shape and generalappearance of a natural seed.

10 A rat eradieator.comprising barium carbonate and other'basie i-niineral toxic mainately admixed 'bariiim carbonate and casein. o

12. A rat eradicator' comprising 1nt1- terial intimately admixed With binding and baiting material, the composition being formed into small masses having the general outline of seeds. v

11.. A rat eradicator Comprising, intimately admixed barium carbonate and proteid and having the form of small flattelied 1O elliptical masses having the appearance of seeds. I

'In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARLETON ELLIS. Vitnes'ses: v

NATHANIEL L. FOSTER,

- I HENRIETTA BER URTZL- 

